This Is, It Was
by Calyn
Summary: Two oneshots, similar yet vastly different.
1. This Is

I own only the narrator. The rest belongs to Walden Media, Disney, and Fox.

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><p>.<p>

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It is no longer a children's story, yet is known by many all over the world. Perhaps you have heard of it, the land of which I will speak.

I cannot speak as an inhabitant of this land, for I did not live there. Yet I have seen it.

Let me tell you of this land:

This is the land of the lamppost, the table, and the wardrobe. The land of the castles, the woods, and the seas.

This is the land of the blond and the brown, the black and the auburn. The land of the gold and the silver.

This is the land of the brown and white, the savior and star.

This is the land of quests and adventures, of unintelligent Dufflepuds and evil mists, of fighting and protection and destruction, of foolish people and foolish ideas.

This is the land ravaged by the White.

This is the land of the Clear Northern Sky, the Radiant Southern Sun, the Great Western Wood, the Glistening Eastern Sea and the Lone Islands.

This is the land which was once conquered by cruel foreigners, yet restored by one of their descendants.

This is the land of the practical and sarcastic mouse, who spoke with a modern tone, who employed irony and dry humor, and who entered Aslan's Country.

This is the land which captured the minds of tweens and teenagers who refused to listen to the authorities on the matter, and put to paper the often foolish ideas of their besotted and hormone-driven minds.

This is the land of the valiant girl who was crowned queen at eight, who found the land again for the first time, who was the peacemaker, and the one who led them both in and out.

This the land of the just boy who was crowned king at twelve, who fought with his brother, who found the land second, who became a traitor and was forgiven, who broke the wand, and who proved himself.

This is the land of the gentle girl who was crowned queen at fifteen, who acted as mother, who was always practical and logical (sometimes to a fault), who frequently belied her title, and who flirted with the dark-haired savior.

This is the land of the magnificent boy who was crowned king at sixteen, who was a leader, who tried to be a father until he learned better, who had much trouble accepting that his reign was over but finally succeeded, and who led the troops to battle.

This is the land of the bratty boy who at fifteen was pulled into a different world against his will, who was an annoying prat, who became a dragon, who flew alongside the ship and made himself extremely useful, who became a human again, and who became somewhat nicer because of it.

This is the land that they remember often. After all, four of them lived here for years and one became a dragon. They won't forget that. They'll never forget how it changed them.

This is their home.

This is Psarnia.

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><p>Unless you've read "Julie and Kitty," you might not understand the point. The next chapter is the true version. The narrator of both chapters is my OC Ailena.<p>

I kept this strictly limited to what has been shown in the movies. The children's ages were, as is commonly done in Psarnia fic, based on the actors' appearances in LWW and DT. Although I am notoriously bad at guessing age from appearance, it is quite obvious that they weren't meant to be eight, ten, twelve, and thirteen in LWW; ten, twelve, and nine in DT.

Please note that C.S. Lewis does not appear in the disclaimer.


	2. It Was

I own only the narrator and her backstory. The rest belongs to C.S. Lewis.

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><p>.<p>

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It was a children's story for years upon years, beloved by many all over the world. Perhaps you have heard of it, the land of which I will speak.

I may speak as an inhabitant of this land, for I lived there long, and saw much.

Let me tell you of my homeland:

It was the land of the Talking Animals, the Song, the Apple. The land of creation, of new life.

It was the land of the Stable, the Waterfall, the Garden. The land of devastation, of ending.

It was the land of the blonde and the brown, the black and blond and golden, the land of the gold and the silver.

It was the land of the golden and yellow and fair-haired, the savior and daughter and enchanted.

It was the land of quests and adventures, of conceited Dufflepuds and wondrous not-lilies, of high bright magic and solemn majestic awe.

It was the land ravaged by the White, the land whose prince was stolen by the Green.

It was the land of the Wild Lands of the North and Ettinsmoor, the Southern Desert and Calormen and Archenland, the Wild Woods of the West and Lantern Waste, the Great Eastern Ocean and Galma and Terebinthia and the Lone Islands.

It was the land which was once conquered by cruel foreigners, yet restored by one of their descendants.

It was the land of the noble and chivalrous mouse, who spoke elegantly and courteously, who was always honorable, who was polite and resolute, and who entered Aslan's Country at last after a lifetime of desire.

It was the land which captured the hearts of children, children who became afraid they loved the Lion too much and were reassured by the ultimate authority on the matter.

It was the land of the wise boy who struck the bell at twelve, whose uncle was full of deceit, who wore a stiff Eaton collar, who saw the creation and brought the first evil, who resisted temptation and was rewarded for his courage, who planted the apple and commissioned the wardrobe.

It was the land of the kind girl who met the wise boy at eleven, who was sent unawares by the uncle, whose hair was pulled by the Queen, who kept a secret place in the attic, who journeyed with the boy and was friends with him forever more.

It was the land of the valiant girl who was crowned queen at eight, who found the land again for the first time, who did not tell lies, the tomboy queen and archer yet healer as well, the one who led them both in and out, and was always gay and golden-haired and desired by all princes in those parts.

It was the land of the just boy who was crowned king at ten, who was changed by his school and became stubborn and cross, who found the land second, who was tricked and enchanted, who unknowingly became a traitor and was forgiven, who proved himself again and again, and who became grave and quiet and great in council and judgement.

It was the land of the gentle girl who was crowned queen at twelve, who took care of her siblings, who did not go to war and did not shoot to kill, who had her doubts yet pushed past them, who was nearly forced to marriage, who became tall and and gracious and desired by many kings, whose black hair fell almost to her feet, and who lost her faith and found it again.

It was the land of the magnificent boy who was crowned king at thirteen, who was a leader to his people, who perhaps tried a bit too hard to protect his siblings, who knew when his reign was over and that he had come to put the next ruler onto the throne and not take it from him, and who became tall and deep-chested and a great warrior.

It was the land of the courageous boy who at nine slept on a dragon's treasure with greedy dragonish thoughts in his heart, and became a dragon himself, who was useful but a problem to solve for he could not keep up with the ship by flying, who was taught through experience that only the Lion could help him when the efforts of everyone else and he himself could not, who learned his lesson through hardship, who rescued his dear friend's son, and who was there at the End.

It was the land of the steadfast girl who walked the cliff's edge at nine and caused her companion to fall, who neglected her repetition and forgot, who fooled the enemies, who cried at the death of her friend's friend, who was a practiced archer, who walked the woods in silence, and who was brave in the face of death.

It was _my_ land, the land of the faithful girl who was crowned queen at sixteen, who did not begin her life here but in the Other Place, who was left out of the common stories, who was the witness to all things, who aided the others in their realizations, who brought a certain man here, and who was reunited at last with her family.

The land where I now live is not that land. This land is _truly_ the land of the Lion, the land of His Father, the culmination of all hopes and dreams. All other lands are merely shadows and copies of this real world. You would call it Heaven; I call it Home. It is infinitely bigger and brighter and more perfect than the copy was, and yet we who live here do remember our homeland often.

After all, we lived there for many long years. We cannot forget that. We will never forget how it changed us.

It was home.

It was Narnia.

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><p>I didn't really want to use the cliché "this is home" idea, because I have a fairly unique (I think) view on it when it comes to the Friends of Narnia. But I couldn't think of another way to end with "It was Narnia."<p>

The hair colors in the sixth and seventh paragraphs are listed in the order "Ailena and Peter, Susan and Edmund and Lucy," and "Caspian and Ramandu's Daughter and Rilian." Wise, kind, courageous, and steadfast are my own titles for Digory, Polly, Eustace, and Jill. No stealing. Ailena's title is faithful.

The difference between "This is" and "It was" in these chapters was very deliberate. Psarnia exists in this world. Narnia doesn't exist anymore; it was destroyed in 1949. Oh, and "Ailena" is prounounced AI-lin-na, not ai-LEEN-a.

Please note that Walden, Disney, and Fox were left out of the disclaimer.

I pray Walden cancels any plans to make more Psarnia movies. We don't need more crud and not-Narnia sullying Lewis' world.


End file.
